I can do it with a broken heart (Lando Norris)

7. This Is Me Trying

"They told me all of my cages were mental,
So I got wasted like all my potential."

The daylight streaming in through the windows woke him. Hannah was already awake, he could tell from the way she was slightly tense in his arms, her breathing slow and forced. She was still lying across his chest so he couldn't see her face.

"Morning." He whispered, tightening his arms around her. "How are you feeling?"

The muffled sob that escaped her more than answered his question.

"Hey, it's okay." He reassured her, hands rubbing soothingly up and down her back in an attempt to offer some kind of comfort. "You're okay."

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "You should be at the track I-" The guilt that he'd dropped everything and come running to comfort her because she was unable to keep her shit together for five minutes was overwhelming.

"Hey. Breathe." He interrupted, sensing she was about to start spiralling about it. "It's fine, Cassie called Charlotte and she's pushed all my media stuff back to the afternoon."

"Thank you." She whispered, pulling herself in closer to him. Her mind was racing at a million miles an hour. The embarrassment of what had happened the night before mixed with the anxiety of having to do it again that night. That was before she even thought about all the shows she still had to do. She was starting to doubt if she was going to survive this tour with her sanity intact.

"Cassie was trying to get the show tonight cancelled." He said softly, not knowing if the mention of the show was just going to make things worse.

"She says that to make me feel better I think," Hannah whispered. "She and I both know they won't let me do that."

"You can't carry on like this." He shook his head, the very idea of it seemed ridiculous.

"They had me back on stage three days after I had my appendix out. Do you think they care if I'm slowly going insane? As long as I get through the show they don't care what happens."

He was quiet for a moment. "And can you make it through the show?" Last night seemed to put that into question.

She shrugged. "Fake it til you make it." Her voice wavered. He found himself wondering how many times she'd told herself that over the last few months. She seemed to repeat it like a mantra.

"Hannah..." he sighed. "I really don't think that's a good idea." He shifted slightly, fingertips finding her chin and tilting her head up until she was looking at him. The remains of last night's make up were smeared around her face, her blue eyes were swollen and bloodshot from the night she'd spent crying and devoid of their usual sparkle.

"I don't have an out. I signed a contract." She said quietly. "I've just got to get on with it."

The door to the hotel room swung open before he could say anything. Cassie appeared at the foot of the bed. "Oh good, you're awake. Lando, Charlotte said you need to be back at the track in two hours and told me to remind you to stick to the speed limits this time." She gave him a knowing look, Charlotte clearly having told her about his misadventures trying to make it to the track on time last year.

"I'd better get up and shower," Hannah said quietly, untangling herself from Lando. She didn't want to, but the longer they stayed here the harder it was going to be for her when he had to go.

Cassie hesitated for a moment. "I did try and cancel the show for tonight but-"

"It's fine." Hannah interrupted. "I'm fine. I'm sorry about last night. It won't happen again." She forced a smile as Lando watched in disbelief that not only was she planning to perform, but she was actually apologising to Cassie for the night before.